el testigo

EL TESTIGO Review: A Regional Action Star’s Potential Is Ripe For The Taking

Since the transfer of my original blogspot to a more optimal wordpress platform on July 8, 2018, I’ve taken an interest in re-editing and republishing some select interviews and articles for better, cleaner presentation. The following piece was previously published on March 4, 2015. It’s not everyday you get to see a Puerto Rican-produced martial arts film…well, at least it felt that way until about 2011 with the rollout of director Andres Ramírez‘s action adventure, El Testigo (The Witness). Featuring the stylings of lead actor, writer and stunt coordinator Jose Manuel, the film was ultimately the first of its kind in Puerto Rico to reportedly cater to the martial arts movie niche. It’s earned its share of awards and nominations for a reason, and while the genre is still slow to take in Puerto Rico among other parts of the world, one can only hope that the slow nature of […]

THE WITNESS SPEAKS: An Interview With Actor And Filmmaker José Manuel

Lee B. Golden III

It’s probably a pretty timely thing for me to be able to interview someone like José Manuel. Jackie Chan just had a birthday and Manuel, well… he’s probably one of the biggest Chan fans I’ve interviewed in my time on this site. He’s bigger than me for sure, and in the wake of his own efforts as a filmmaker and entertainer with a distinct and profound love for action on film, I couldn’t be more proud of him. I actually REALLY wanted to meet him late last year when he attended the events at the Urban Action Showcase and Expo, only I had approximately zero clue that he was in town and had only found out when he presented a documentary video of his trip on social media. I was a bit floored and a laughed it off; it wasn’t too upsetting, rather just delightful to know that New York City […]

GIVEAWAY: Win A DVD Copy Of José Manuel’s Debut Martial Arts Movie, EL TESTIGO (The Witness)!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been about six years since Puerto Rican audiences came to know of actor and martial artist Jose Manuel in his 2011 feature debut, El Testigo (The Witness). In the time thereafter, Manuel and those among his tenacious group of creatives at North Compass have been steadfast in amplifying the martial arts genre with a raft of test fights and shortfilms you can find online. And not for nothing either as the genre did manage to leave a mark in the North American commonwealth. El Testigo was a local hit, thus proving its viability and so it’s clear that Manuel and filmmaker Andres Ramirez only see fit to take things a step further. Ergo, we now await to find out what happens with their latest thrilling, edgy concept, Uncompromised, for which you may have already spotted its trailer as well as an action clip. At current, I plan on delving […]

Screener Review: EL TESTIGO – THE WITNESS (2011)

Lee B. Golden III

SYNOPSIS: On what seemed to be a normal day, Chelo, unexpectedly witnesses a murder. In the midst of the chase by the perpetrators, the cops mistake him as the killer. He will be forced to fight for his life. REVIEW: It’s not everyday you get to see a Puerto Rican-produced martial arts film…well, at least it felt that way until about 2011 with the rollout of director Andres Ramírez‘s action adventure, El Testigo (The Witness). Featuring the stylings of lead actor, writer and stunt coordinator Jose Manuel, the film was ultimately the first of its kind in Puerto Rico to reportedly cater to the martial arts movie niche. It’s earned its share of awards and nominations for a reason, and while the genre is still slow to take in Puerto Rico among other parts of the world, one can only hope that the slow nature of progress in today’s film […]